I had about 350 miles left until I reached the monument. My first trip through Utah was not a pleasant one, because of the weather. This time, however, was much better, and not at all boring. The rock formation scenery did not disappoint. With clear blue skies, and warm to hot temperatures, it was much more enjoyable allowing my eyes quick glances to the left and right as Clyde and I sped along. I was given a warning to watch my speed by an elderly man dripping with blood from his forehead on the side of the road. He looked like he lost control of his car, and had smashed into a rock just off the shoulder of the road. There were plenty of people tending to him, so I didn't stop. I hoped that his injuries were not severe, and was thankful of his warning of what could happen out here if you weren't careful.
I stopped for gas several miles later. A man complimented me on my bike and asked where I was from. He said that I should be careful. Lots of gangs in the southwest and that I should be aware of that and avoid them or I'd get ripped off. At this point in the trip, I wasn't too worried about anything of that nature. So it's good to be reminded bad things can happen and not to be too relaxed. It was my second "warning" of the day.
A bit more cautious, I continued to the Four Corners Monument. It's in a very remote area, and after driving down some roads where I've never felt more alone, I reached the Four Corners Monument USA!
The monument where "visitors can simultaneously straddle the territory of four states" is maintained as a tourist attraction by the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation Department. Unlike many other attractions based on political boundaries, such as the Berlin Wall, it is an example of a political boundary as a tourist destination for the sake of itself. The monument consists of a granite disk embedded with a smaller bronze disk around the point, surrounded by smaller, appropriately located state seals and flags representing both the states and tribal nations of the area. Circling the point, with two words in each state, the disk reads, "Four states here meet in freedom under God." Around the monument, local Navajo and Ute artisans sell souvenirs and food. The big thing here is to lay with one arm in Utah, one in Colorado, one leg in Arizona, and one leg in New Mexico.
Just a few days ago, I had heard about this monument, and now I was there! Because it was the Four Corners Monument, and I was on a Four Corners trip, this is the only place I felt compelled to buy a souvenir. I went up to a souvenir stand run by a very sweet woman, picked out a t-shirt, paid her, and walked away. That's exactly what I did. I walked away, and forgot to take my t-shirt with me. Fortunately, as I got to my where my bike was parked, I heard a woman, yelling, "sir, sir!" And the woman had chased me down to give me what I had purchased, and then stupidly left without!
I drove a few more miles to Farmington, New Mexico and got a room for the night. A man was being arrested in the hotel parking lot for what looked like a DUI. Third warning of the day. Don't drink and drive.
Tomorrow, Texas!
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